V Ibero-American Week of International Justice

On the picture H.E. Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, President of the International Criminal Court.

Photography and text by Montserrat Zamora.

On June 1st, the Opening Ceremony of the V Ibero-American Week of International Justice took place at the Peace Palace.

H.E. Mr. Philippe Courvreur, Registrar of the International Court of Justice.

Speeches were presented by H.E. Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, President of the International Criminal Court, H.E. Mr. Philippe Courvreur, Registrar of the International Court of Justice, H.E. Mrs. Nora Stehouwer, Ambassador of the Netherlands to International Organisations, and Prof. Héctor Olasolo Alonso, Chairman of the Ibero-American Institute of The Hague for Peace, Human Rights and International Justice.

Since 2011, the Ibero-American Week of International Justice has been organised each year during the first ten days of June by the Ibero-American Institute of The Hague for Peace, Human Rights and International Justice (IIH).

It has immense institutional support from numerous different organizations, such as the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, the Hague Municipality, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the University of The Hague for Applied Sciences, the Grotius Center for International Studies, the TMC Asser Institute, the Hague Academic Coalition, the Embassies of several Ibero-American States, the General Ibero-American Secretariat, the European Union, the Coalition for the ICC, and a number of Ibero-American Universities and organisations.

H.E. Mrs. Nora Stehouwer, Ambassador of the Netherlands to International Organisations with a group of students from Colombia.

Judge Silvia Steiner with México law students.

The Ibero-American Week is comprised of a number of events in Spanish and Portuguese, including a Moot Court on the International Criminal Court, an Essay Contest on International Justice, a Seminar on Ibero-American Thinking on International Justice, a Research Group on the Ibero-American Epistemological Perspective on Justice, a guided tour to the historical buildings of the City of The Hague, and several visits to Hague-based International Courts, Tribunals and Organisations. Translation into English is provided for some of the activities.

The aim of the Ibero-American Week is to create a space in which academics, international and national state officials, members of civil society, students, and the general public at large, coming from the countries in the Ibero-American region and the Netherlands, may exchange their views and initiatives on International Justice. Likewise, it aims to promote a deeper knowledge and a better understanding of Hague-based International Court, Tribunals and Organisations.

Prof. Héctor Olasolo Alonso, Chairman of the Ibero-American Institute of The Hague for Peace, Human Rights and International Justice.

On the occasion of its V Edition, the Filmhuis of The Hague showed on 6 and 7 June several Ibero-American movies, including films from Argentina, Guatemala and Mexico. Moreover, on 10 June an exchange between Ibero-American and Chinese academics and students on the meaning of inclusion for peace and international justice was held at the Humanity House, as part of The Hague Talks for Peace and Justice organised by the Municipality of the City of The Hague.

Singer Rut Codina Palacio at the Peace Palace.

During the Opening Ceremony, Rut Codina Palacio sang a number of traditional songs from Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Mexico and Spain.